With at least 3 NFL Teams considering him now if he still comes here it suggests he's here to stay and won't be turning around and jumping to the NFL in a few years. At least that is what I tell myself.

to what extent the potential collective bargaining issue will have an impact. Some reporters are saying that the Vikes and Cowboys will stick to their interim guys because of the future uncertainty. This may play into our favor. Not likely, but possible.

This is what scares me about Harbaugh potentially coming to UM. What if the new CBA does not come in effect after the NLF season is over? JH will likely come to UM but what happens when they fix the CBA and JH is a hot commodity again? Does he bolt for the NFL or stay at UM? This is not likely to happen but just thinking of the worst case scenario because, well, how can you not after the last 3 years of Michigan football.

...same reason it took years and scandals to move Pete C. to Seattle...roster control. Neither Denver nor Seattle has strong draft records and with SF a new GM...Harbaugh can wait it out until he gets Pete C.'s deal or just enjoy total control at Michigan for still ungodly truckloads of cash.

Everyone seems to assume that Harbaugh eventually wants an NFL head coaching gig, but has he ever expressed this interest himself? This is an old quote (posted in ESPN's Pac-10 blog in June 2009) that I'm sure has been posted here before, but it seems worth bearing in mind:

Another interesting response came when Harbaugh was asked about his potential future as an NFL head coach. While one would expect Harbaugh to say he will stay at Stanford forever, I was surprised by the way he denied his ability to coach in the NFL. "I consider myself a collegiate coach." He followed that up later with "I think I am a college guy."

I think there's just an assumption that coaches who have had success in the NFL want to eventually coach in the NFL. College coaches tend to be guys that played in college but were never really pro material. Obviously there are exceptions.

I think the mistake people make is thinking that an NFL head coaching job is simply a natural step up from a collegiate head coaching job. The jobs are vastly different, however, in many ways (drafting vs. recruiting, dealing with athletes receiving paychecks vs. dealing with student-athletes balancing their studies with football, etc.), and I think Harbaugh's comments that I posted above indicate he's well aware of the difference and perhaps prefers the duties of a collegiate head coach.

I don't know whether Harbaugh has NFL head coaching ambitions or not, but I do know that if the Michigan job is of interest to him, he better jump now because this might be the only chance he'll ever have at it.

And, if the pro ranks are of interest to him, he would still have the chance to jump there later given how often head coaching jobs open up in the NFL.

I probably put too much faith in JH's "college guy" quote, but I really think he accurately assessed himself in that statement.

Personally, I feel like JH is one of the few guys out there that isn't 100% money-driven. Remember that JH was a young man finishing HS/ starting college when Bo made his very public, very earnest rejection of Texas A&M's generous offer.

JH has to be aware of that quote and I believe that it is probably still rattling around in his head these days. I know it's in mine, and I never came anywhere close to Bo or playing ball at Michigan.

It's from a gunnersmate so it's not going to go up the chain for polishing. It's going to be better than my standard O awnser of "Gun Go Boom, Missle Go Woosh, CWIS go Click error errror". I'm just waiting on Fox and CBS.

It's really amazing that we have to separate Michigan fans into categories based on whether or not they "support" Rich Rodriguez, as if assigning them the "non-supporter" label (whether or not it's actually accurate) makes them some kind of rube.

...anyone but Harbaugh would be viewed as a disappointing second choice, IMO. As such, if Harbaugh isn't on board, Brandon may as well keep RR for one more year rather than regret a less-than-ideal second choice.

I said back in 07 when Lloyd stepped down that they should go after Chris Petersen of Boise. The other candidate I conjured up that wouldn't be a expansive difference offensive style would be Kyle Wittingham of Utah. However, I do agree that Harbaugh will be their first choice though.

Well, I said back in 19XX I wanted some really successful coaches, in hindsight, to be hired. Guys like Mike Ditka or Vince Lombardi. Alas, I have no proof of this statement that I made either, but please believe my made up statement because it would make it sound really smart.

The conversation that my comments took place in was a phone call home from Afghanistan to my brother about an hour after the Michigan-OSU game in 2007. We were doing nothing more than bantering back and forth of who we might like to see there in the future. Little did we know Lloyd announce his retirement the next day to the team.

Edit: I +1 each of you, since I should've been more specific from the start.

You did not need to be more specific. My list back then inlcuded Peterson as well. Who gives two shits that some interent asswad called you out for absolutely no reason whatsoever? I just can't believe someone would have that many tacks shoved up their ass that they would call bullshit on a harmless musing on the internet.

I'm with you on that Lomardi kid. He's an up and comer in the coaching ranks and I've heard from very reliable sources eating at a resturant my babysitter's boyfriend works at that he wants to coach at Michigan.

You got that wound up about some anonymous internet poster that you had to call him out and say "bullshit" that he wanted Peterson? As JH would say: "What's your deal"? You seem to have a larger amount of assbag in you than the average poster. I recommend medication.

They gave him a large amount of money for a short period of work, then he was able to get an even better job in college than the one he had before, making even more money, and he won a national title.

It isn't the shitty career move everyone seems to make it out to be. A similar fate (getting as good or better gigs at the college level after a few years of cashing monster NFL paychecks) has befallen Petrino, Riley, Erickson (twice), Spurrier, Butch Davis, etc. (not to mention b-ball coaches like Pitino, Calipari, Floyd, etc.).

Got two NFL jobs (left the Canes for Seattle and left Oregon St. for the Niners) despite pretty much no success at that level. In basketball, Tim Floyd got a second NBA job after no success with the Bulls. Pitino left Providence for the Knicks, sucked in the NBA, got the Kentucky job, left for the Celtics where he sucked again, then got the Louisville gig. But feel free to continue ignoring reality just because you want Jim Harbaugh to come to Michigan.

By your logic no one should ever take an NFL job because they might fail and never get another chance to take an NFL job. If others followed your logic, Tom Brady would never have started banging super models for fear he might not bring the thunder and after word got out on the super model rumor mill he would never again get the chance to bang a super model and so better just to not try in the first place.

I'm sure Nick feels terrible that everyone thinks he's a failure (and by everyone, I of course mean just you). Hopefully doing laps in his swimming pool full of gold coins while wearing his two national championship rings for resistance can provide some solace for his weary mind.

It's all dependent on what he wants. If he wants to coach in the pros, he can do so today, and he will. If he wants to coach Michigan, then this is his one chance, just like it's probably Michigan's one chance to get him. If his dream is the pros, he's not going to come here and leave us later, because why take the job in the first place when he has a choice of NFL jobs? But if he really wants to coach Michigan, he probably can't take the NFL money and hope Rich sticks around a few more years for him to take the job then. He has to take it now. No one really knows what he wants. But the one thing that's for sure - Jim Harbaugh is going to land on his feet, and have a damn good job. Whether Michigan does, or say, the 49ers do, is a whole other story.

I don't see Denver for Harbaugh because it would pit two strong personalities with each other and I don't think that would work. The only way Denver has a chance is if they somehow find a way to get that #1 pick and draft Luck with that pick, and I think that's a longshot.

Besides, Elway might want to bring back the GERG. After all, he was Denver's DC during his two super bowl runs.

The other problem is Tebow, who potentially has Elway's backing. Tebow also has the backing of many deeply religious folks, and they exist in significant numbers in Colorado.

Not trying to offend, but Tebow will be a factor JH has to consider. He won't just be able to waltz in with Luck and keep Tebow on the pine or at TE/FB with Elway and a number of vocal, devoted fans supporting Tim.

Anyone who has worked food service in Denver has heard about John Elway and the sanctimonious little cards that he leaves in lieu of a tip, even after racking up four-figure bills. They say something like "I don't believe in tipping; if you want more money, ask your employer for a raise." I can only imagine what it would be like to work under such a person. Colossal db.